Washington urged to end blockade on Havana

China has blasted the United States for making "forced labor" an excuse for suppressing dissidence, urging Washington to stop the blockade and sanctions on Cuba in any name.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning made the remarks on Wednesday after the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month announced the expansion of a visa restriction policy to target Cuban officials believed to be tied to a labor program that sends Cuban workers overseas, particularly healthcare workers.

The expanded restrictions target individuals and immediate family members of individuals believed to be responsible for the program, which Rubio described as "forced labor".

Caribbean Community foreign ministers expressed concerns over the decision in a meeting with U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone earlier this month.

Several leaders of the Caribbean states criticized the U.S. move, with several prime ministers declaring they would rather forfeit their access to U.S. soil than compromise healthcare for their citizens.

'Perfect excuse'

"The so-called forced labor has been used as a perfect excuse and tool for Washington to pursue hegemony and attack dissenting views," Mao told a daily news conference.

Relevant measures of the U.S. are an extension and escalation of its over 60 years of sanctions and blockade on Cuba, she said.

Mao cited Cuba's Director of the Central Medical Cooperation Unit Michael Cabrera Laza as saying that in the past 60 years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba sent over 600,000 medical personnel to over 60 countries, provided medical services for over 230 million people, and performed over 17 million surgeries, which saved the lives of more than 12 million people.

Cuba's global medical missions and their services are welcomed by governments and people of Caribbean states, Mao said.

China opposes coercive diplomacy, the spokeswoman said, urging Washington to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The U.S. should do more to improve its ties with Cuba and offer real assistance to the Caribbean states, she added.